Narrative:

Held at pmm 45 mins. Cleared V84 en route to ord. Received garbled xmissions, '...turn left 180 degrees.' captain rogered, 'turn left 180 degrees.' after established 180 degree heading, I questioned heading. Captain checked and ATC said turn was to have been at papri, and to turn to 270 degrees to parallel, 'no problem.' after receiving 180 degree heading, I had tuned ILS 27R frequency and flipped #2 ADF/VOR selector southwest to ADF. When given 270 degrees correction, I again returned obk and selected VOR on paddle switch. We were again given a 240 degree heading, then direct ord, and asked to maintain 250 KTS. I tuned ILS but failed to again FLIP paddle switch to ADF (taffs). We got below clouds high and fast. ATC said to go no slower than 170 KTS to taffs. I began to dirty up as soon as possible. We were right of 27R approach path (north), very near taffs and cleared visibility approach. I saw 22L very brightly lit, and started a turn toward 270 degrees, knowing the general location of 27R, but because the 27R lights were very low, I could not actually see its approach path, and never did. Because my paddle southwest was still on VOR, it was giving me confusing information and I drifted further left, still unable to see the dimly lit 27R. 22R was about midway lit and visible. As I drifted further north, tower advised of such and cleared us to land on 22R if desired. We did so uneventfully. Conclusion: classic case of behind aircraft, exaggerated by ATC's high speed request and failure to FLIP ADF paddle switch. Runway lights on 27R were much too low, especially relative to 22L and right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB WRONG RWY APCH AT ORD. ATCT LCL CTLR NOTICED TRACK DEVIATION AND CHANGED RWY FOR A NON EVENT.

Narrative: HELD AT PMM 45 MINS. CLRED V84 ENRTE TO ORD. RECEIVED GARBLED XMISSIONS, '...TURN LEFT 180 DEGS.' CAPT ROGERED, 'TURN LEFT 180 DEGS.' AFTER ESTABLISHED 180 DEG HDG, I QUESTIONED HDG. CAPT CHKED AND ATC SAID TURN WAS TO HAVE BEEN AT PAPRI, AND TO TURN TO 270 DEGS TO PARALLEL, 'NO PROB.' AFTER RECEIVING 180 DEG HDG, I HAD TUNED ILS 27R FREQ AND FLIPPED #2 ADF/VOR SELECTOR SW TO ADF. WHEN GIVEN 270 DEGS CORRECTION, I AGAIN RETURNED OBK AND SELECTED VOR ON PADDLE SWITCH. WE WERE AGAIN GIVEN A 240 DEG HDG, THEN DIRECT ORD, AND ASKED TO MAINTAIN 250 KTS. I TUNED ILS BUT FAILED TO AGAIN FLIP PADDLE SWITCH TO ADF (TAFFS). WE GOT BELOW CLOUDS HIGH AND FAST. ATC SAID TO GO NO SLOWER THAN 170 KTS TO TAFFS. I BEGAN TO DIRTY UP ASAP. WE WERE RIGHT OF 27R APCH PATH (N), VERY NEAR TAFFS AND CLRED VIS APCH. I SAW 22L VERY BRIGHTLY LIT, AND STARTED A TURN TOWARD 270 DEGS, KNOWING THE GENERAL LOCATION OF 27R, BUT BECAUSE THE 27R LIGHTS WERE VERY LOW, I COULD NOT ACTUALLY SEE ITS APCH PATH, AND NEVER DID. BECAUSE MY PADDLE SW WAS STILL ON VOR, IT WAS GIVING ME CONFUSING INFO AND I DRIFTED FURTHER LEFT, STILL UNABLE TO SEE THE DIMLY LIT 27R. 22R WAS ABOUT MIDWAY LIT AND VISIBLE. AS I DRIFTED FURTHER N, TWR ADVISED OF SUCH AND CLRED US TO LAND ON 22R IF DESIRED. WE DID SO UNEVENTFULLY. CONCLUSION: CLASSIC CASE OF BEHIND ACFT, EXAGGERATED BY ATC'S HIGH SPD REQUEST AND FAILURE TO FLIP ADF PADDLE SWITCH. RWY LIGHTS ON 27R WERE MUCH TOO LOW, ESPECIALLY RELATIVE TO 22L AND R.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.